Anning Rooms Restaurant
Quick info
About Anning Rooms Restaurant
Anning Rooms Restaurant sits on the second floor of the Natural History Museum in London, open for members and guests as a break from the main museum areas. It takes its name from fossil hunter Mary Anning. Afternoon tea is served on tiered trays, with a savoury sandwich selection alongside scones and cakes. A lunch menu runs alongside it, with fishcakes and skin-on chips among the options, though only a few mains are available at any one time. Seating is a mix of plastic and metal chairs and tables, and the windows sit high on the wall, so there is little outside view. The restaurant opens daily and takes walk-ins rather than reservations.
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention afternoon tea, scones, dry sandwiches and fishcakes.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention afternoon tea, scones, dry sandwiches and fishcakes.
Customer Review Summary
Afternoon tea is the most discussed draw here, though reviewers split sharply on it. Several enjoyed the vegetarian sandwiches and cakes, and one described the tea sets as beautiful with three attentive staff offering useful suggestions. But just as many report dry, "almost inedible" scones, stale desserts, and store bought clotted cream standing in for the advertised experience, with one diner calling the £70 set "not worth" the price and noting no ice cubes. Outside the tea service, the fishcakes with skin on chips and a simple lunch of tea and good food drew praise, while another visitor found only one main dish available on the whole menu. Noise and crowds of children come up repeatedly as an atmosphere complaint, alongside plastic and metal furniture some found unremarkable. One reviewer separately describes being refused an order at the counter by a staff member while other customers were served, calling the interaction unprofessional. Staff are otherwise called friendly and helpful across several reviews, even by diners disappointed with the food itself.
Customer Review Summary
Afternoon tea is the most discussed draw here, though reviewers split sharply on it. Several enjoyed the vegetarian sandwiches and cakes, and one described the tea sets as beautiful with three attentive staff offering useful suggestions. But just as many report dry, "almost inedible" scones, stale desserts, and store bought clotted cream standing in for the advertised experience, with one diner calling the £70 set "not worth" the price and noting no ice cubes. Outside the tea service, the fishcakes with skin on chips and a simple lunch of tea and good food drew praise, while another visitor found only one main dish available on the whole menu. Noise and crowds of children come up repeatedly as an atmosphere complaint, alongside plastic and metal furniture some found unremarkable. One reviewer separately describes being refused an order at the counter by a staff member while other customers were served, calling the interaction unprofessional. Staff are otherwise called friendly and helpful across several reviews, even by diners disappointed with the food itself.
Featured reviews
- Andrea Hyde
“We booked the Inspired By Nature Afternoon Tea. £70 for 2 people. There was no thought to possible allergies. The tray was set before use with no indication of what was what. No offer to make iced teas only iced coffee. The lemonade came without ice. Then the server walked away and did not check on us again. The scones were good but the clotted cream was store bought. The sandwiches were ok. Not fantastic. The bread did not taste fresh. The desserts were yucky. Tasted stale. I guess not all museums have good food.”
- Reviewer666
“We booked afternoon tea here. The savoury selection was ok, but the rest of the food was close to awful. The scones were almost inedible (SO dry), and the sweet selection was something to avoid. We wont be eating here again. I contacted the caterer (Benugo), but as expected no reply.”
- Rob Butler
“Having just become members we visited the restaurant for the first time and really liked it. The staff were lovely. The menu was small but the food was very tasty. I enjoyed the fishcakes with a side order of skin on chips. The coffee was also very good. Other reviews have said how the place is very noisy and busy. It was very quiet when we went about 2pm on a Sunday so we may just have hit a quiet time but it was calm and relaxing away from the very crowded museum areas. Service was a little slow but not annoyingly so. Tables and chairs were functional and we did notice that, at that time of day, a lot of them were in strong sunlight so we moved to a shaded table. That might be irritating if only sunlit tables were available. I would think there were about 25 tables but there is also the lounge area upstairs. There was a notice up saying that work would be starting soon on large scale improvements. Hopefully that does not mean the restaurant will be closed for a long period? On the whole we thought it was a very pleasant place to enjoy a relaxing lunch.”
- CG Sim
“We came here for afternoon tea. Food was delicious and the tea sets were beautiful. What made it more amazing was the excellent service provided by the 3 staff on duty today. The 3 gentlemen were attentive and helpful, providing us with useful suggestions when needed. I would strongly recommend this place just because of their service!”
- S
“Afternoon tea at the Natural History Museum. Tasty although not the same experience as other places nearby. Sandwiches were also a little dry.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“Warm restaurant for National History Museum members & guests, named after fossil hunter Mary Anning.”
- ReservationsWalk-in only
Location
Restaurants near Anning Rooms Restaurant
- Fusion 544.41070.2 mi£1–10Good for kids
affordable prices, buffet breakfast and lunch, peri peri chicken sandwich
- Nando's Gloucester Road4.23,2360.3 mi£10–20Outdoor seatingVegan optionsVegetarian options
grilled peri-peri chicken, crispy fries, herb sauce
- 0.5 mi
pelmeni, shisha, herring in coat
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anning Rooms Restaurant | 4.298 | — | — | afternoon tea, scones, dry sandwiches |
| Fusion 54Good for kids | 4.4107 | 0.2 mi | £1–10 | affordable prices, buffet breakfast and lunch, peri peri chicken sandwich |
| Nando's Gloucester RoadOutdoor seating · Vegan options · Vegetarian options | 4.23,236 | 0.3 mi | £10–20 | grilled peri-peri chicken, crispy fries, herb sauce |
| Borshtch n Tears - Борщ И Слёзы | 4.3626 | 0.5 mi | — | pelmeni, shisha, herring in coat |
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